SAN DIEGO — The signing deadline for the MLB First-Year Player Draft expires after 11:59 p.m. tonight. The Mets have yet to reach an agreement with their top pick, Wyoming high schooler Brandon Nimmo, but that’s not unexpected. From everything I’ve heard — and from the general history of the draft — there’s little reason to expect a snag in finishing a deal.

Nimmo, of course, is not alone in this limbo. A good deal of first-round picks – including top pick Gerrit Cole, No. 2 choice Danny Hultzen and No. 4 choice Dylan Bundy, No. 6 choice Anthony Rendon, etc. – have yet to sign. But this is how it works. The draft occurs in June. Then teams wait about two months to resume/begin negotiations. Nimmo, for example, didn’t hear much from the Mets the first month or so after the draft.

For a primer on Nimmo, I spent two days with him at his home in Cheyenne. He has a scholarship to play baseball at Arkansas, but he sure sounded ready to become a professional. And a team official assured me last month that this process would likely last until the deadline.

There are loose ends to be tied: The No. 13 slot bonus recommended is $1.65 million, and Nimmo wants more. He likely will receive it. The Mets understood they would have to pay over-slot when they selected him.

There will be more tonight, once the Mets make an announcement (either way) about the deal.